Microprocessor subsystem module for PCB bottom-side BGA installation

ABSTRACT

The inventive embedded processing subsystem module is adapted for backside circuit board assembly directly opposite of a specific microprocessor or Digital Signal Processor so that circuit groups such as memory banks and communications peripherals may utilize otherwise unused backside printed circuit board space underneath the processor device, and further so that high-speed signals interconnecting the processor and subsystem circuit devices traverse a minimized printed circuit track length.

TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates to high speed and high density embedded processing systems which employ microprocessors and digital signal processors. The invention provides a Ball Grid Array module for which microprocessor companion electronics are assembled on a printed circuit board directly opposite of the microprocessor being supported, thereby reducing the board space necessary to implement the fill processing circuit and reducing printed circuit board track lengths.

BACKGROUND OF INVENTION

Embedded processing systems which employ microprocessors and digital signal processors (“DSP”) are well known within the art, as well as standard modular packaging schemes for subsystems. Typical subsystems including arrays or banks of memory devices, peripherals such as communications controllers, and clock circuits. Well known component packages and modules are specified by the Electronics Industries Alliance (“EIA”) JEDEC Solid State Products Division, and include package types such as Plastic Quad Flat Pack (“PQFP”), Small Outline Integrated Circuit (“SOIC”), Ball Grid Array (“BGA”), and multi-device modules such as Single Inline Memory Module (“SIMM”).

While microprocessors and DSP's have traditionally employed JEDEC standard packages, such as PQFP and BGA, the pin-to-signal assignments of a particular processor or DSP is determined by the manufacturer of the processor. Thus, two processors from different manufacturers which both utilize a particular BGA package will not necessarily have the power, ground, address, data, control, and other signals assigned to the same pins or balls on the package.

Further, as demands on board space have increased due to the need to build greater functionality into a particular form factor board, such as a VME or Peripheral Component Interconnect (“PCI”) card, new methods of packaging groups of related components are needed to conserve board space.

Finally, as processor bus speeds have increased far beyond speeds of 100 MHz, the minimization of printed circuit board (“PCB”) track lengths interconnecting microprocessor package pins to subsystem module pins in order to preserve signal integrity of high speed digital electrical signals has become increasingly important.

Therefore, there exists an need in the art for a embedded processor subsystem module which minimizes processor-to-module PCB track lengths and maximizes board space utilization. This subsystem module preferably employs standard JEDEC physical definition and requires only conventional assembly technology for PCB boards.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The object of the present invention is to provide an embedded processor subsystem module which minimizes processor-to-module PCB track lengths and maximizes board space utilization. This subsystem module employs a standard JEDEC Ball Grid Array footprint definition and requires only conventional assembly technology for PCB boards. The subsystem module ball-to-signal definitions use a “mirror image” definition of specific microprocessors or digital signal processors in order to allow the subsystem module to be mounted on the printed circuit board on the opposing PCB surface directly opposite of the processor or DSP, thereby providing a minimum track length for high speed signals and utilizing PCB board space “underneath” the processor which would ordinarily not be utilized.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

For a more complete understanding of the invention,

FIG. 1 shows a bottom view of a JEDEC standard 352-pin Ball Grid Array package.

FIG. 2 depicts the bottom view of the inventive 352-pin BGA package with mirrored pin assignments for reverse-side assembly to a standard JEDEC 352-pin BGA.

FIG. 3 shows a bottom view of an alternate embodiment of the inventive BGA module.

FIG. 4 discloses a side view of subsystem module.

FIG. 5 illustrates the inventive subsystem module assembled on a printed circuit board directly opposite of the microprocessor, shown from a side view of the assembled board.

FIG. 6 shows the subsystem module from a top view, and illustrates a typical use of the top surface for subsystem circuits such as banks of memory devices, power supply filter capacitors, and other peripherals.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

In accordance with the objects of the invention set forth in the Summary of the Invention, the subsystem module employs a standard PCB footprint of a BGA, but employs a novel transposition of row or column pin definitions of the footprint. The subsystem pin-to-signal definitions can then be matched to a particular processors pin-to-signal definition to create a processor-specific subsystem such as banks of memory or peripherals such as Ethernet controllers.

The module thereby provides advantages over prior art modules in that space directly underneath the microprocessor on the opposite surface of the PCB on which the microprocessor is assembled can be used for the subsystem, and the high speed signal track lengths between the microprocessor and the subsystem module are minimized.

Turning to FIG. 1, a bottom view of a standard JEDEC 352-pin BGA package (1) is shown. The bottom surface of the BOA is populated by solder balls (4) for interconnection to the printed circuit board. Under the standard JEDEC definition, the rows of balls are sequentially assigned letter references (3), skipping letters such as “I”, “O”, “Q”, and “X” to avoid confusion with numbers and “don't care” values. The columns of balls are assigned number references (2) sequentially. A particular ball is referenced by the combination of row and column reference, such as the most upper left ball which is referenced as AF1. Microprocessors and DSP's manufacturers then freely assign signals to each of the balls using the alphanumeric ball reference designators. This allows the circuit designer to indicate to a PCB designer which signals must connect to which ball pads on the PCB. Manufacturer device specification sheets, or “spec sheets”, typically contain tables which show ball-to-signal assignments. TABLE 1 shows the ball-to-signal definitions of the TEXAS INSTRUMENTS TMS320C6x [TM] Digital Signal Processor for it's external memory interface (“EMIF”), including the data bus, address bus, and control signals.

TABLE 1 SIGNAL NAME BGA PIN NUMBER SIGNAL DESCRIPTION CE3 AE22 Memory space enable CE2 AD26 ″ CE1 AB24 ″ CE0 AC26 ″ BE3 AB25 Byte-enable control BE2 AA24 ″ BE1 Y23 ″ BE0 AA26 ″ EA21 J26 Memory Address EA20 K25 ″ EA19 L24 ″ EA18 K26 ″ EA17 M26 Memory Address EA16 M25 ″ EA15 P25 ″ EA14 P24 ″ EA13 R25 ″ EA12 T26 ″ EA11 R23 ″ EA10 U26 ″ EA9 U25 ″ EA8 T23 ″ EA7 V26 ″ EA6 V25 ″ EA5 W26 ″ EA4 V24 ″ EA3 W25 ″ EA2 Y26 ″ ED31 AB2 Memory Data ED30 AC1 ″ ED29 AA4 ″ ED28 AD1 ″ ED27 AC3 Memory Data ED26 AD4 ″ ED25 AF3 ″ ED24 AE4 ″ ED23 AD5 ″ ED22 AF4 ″ ED21 AE5 ″ ED20 AD6 ″ ED19 AE6 ″ ED18 AD7 ″ ED17 AC8 ″ ED16 AF7 ″ ED15 AD9 ″ ED14 AD10 ″ ED13 AF9 ″ ED12 AC11 ″ ED11 AE10 ″ ED10 AE11 ″ ED9 AF11 ″ ED7 AE14 ″ ED8 AF15 Memory Data ED6 AE15 ″ ED5 AF16 ″ ED4 AC15 ″ ED3 AE17 ″ ED2 AF18 ″ ED1 AF19 ″ ED0 AC17 ″ ARE Y24 Asynchronous memory read enable AOE AC24 Asynchronous memory output enable AWE AD23 Asynchronous memory write enable ARDY W23 Asynchronous memory ready enable SSADS AC20 SBSRAM address strobe SSOE AF21 SBSRAM output enable SSWE AD19 SBSRAM write enable SSCLK AD17 SBSRAM clock SDA10 AD21 SDRAM address 10 SDRAS AF24 SDRAM row-address strobe SDCAS AD22 SDRAM column-address strobe SDWE AF23 SDRAM write enable SDCLK AE20 SDRAM clock HOLD AA25 Hold request from the host HOLDA A7 Hold-request acknowledge to host

TABLE 1 shows the memory interface signals for asynchronous memory, Synchronous Dynamic Random Access Memory (“SDRAM”), and Synchronous Burst RAM (“SBSRAM”) which are specific to the TMS320C6x DSP. TABLE 2 shows the power supply and ground balls for the TMS320C6x DSP, which are also necessary for a subsystem module.

TABLE 2 SIGNAL SIGNAL NAME BGA PIN NUMBER DESCRIPTION DVDD A10, A15, A18, A21, A22, 3.3 VDC Voltage Supply ″ B7, B8, C1, D17, F3, G24, ″ ″ G25, H25, J25, L25, M3, ″ ″ N3, N23, R26, T24, U24, ″ ″ Y4, AB3, AB4, AB26, AC6, ″ ″ AC10, AC19, AC21, AC22, ″ ″ AC25, AD1, AD13, AD15, ″ ″ AD18, AE18, AE21, AF5, AF6, ″ DVDD AF17 3.3 VDC Voltage Supply CVDD AF, A12, A16, A20, B2, B6, 1.8 or 2.5 VDC Voltage Supply ″ B11, B12, B25, C3, C15, C20, ″ ″ C24, D4, D6, D7, D9, D14, ″ ″ D18, D20, D23, E1, F1, H4, ″ ″ J4, J23, K1, K23, M1, M24, N4, ″ ″ N25, P2, P23, T3, T4, U1, V4, ″ VSS D19, E3, E24, F2, F24, G3, G4, ″ ″ G26, J3, L23, L26, M23, N1, N2, ″ ″ N24, N26, P1, P26, R24, U2, ″ ″ U23, V1, V3, Y3, Y25, AA3, ″ VSS AA23, AB23, AC2, AC5, Ground Supply ″ AC7, AC14, AC16, AD2, ″ ″ AD12, AD16, AD20 ″

The voltage and ground supply assignments shown in TABLE 2 are unique to the TMS320C6x DSP, as well.

Turning now to FIG. 2, the subsystem (5) bottom view is shown, as well as the rows and columns of the balls of the BGA package. The subsystem BGA ball designators of the rows (3) are identical to those of the JEDEC standard package, although the subsystem column designators (6) are numbered in decrementing fashion from left to right, creating a one-dimensional mirror image of the standard JEDEC references of FIG. 1. FIG. 3 shows an alternate embodiment of the subsystem in which the columns (2) are identical to the JEDEC standard, but the rows (8) have been designated using an alphabetic sequence increasing from bottom to top and skipping “I”, “O”, “Q”, and “X” so as to produce a one-dimensional mirror image of the standard JEDEC BGA package.

FIG. 6 shows a top view of the subsystem (5) wherein the top surface (11) is available for designer-defined circuitry of the subsystem, such as banks of memory devices (12) and power supply decoupling capacitors (13). In the preferred embodiment, the subsystem is constructed of an epoxy-glass multi-layer, double-sided printed circuit board substrate, with the ball pattern of FIG. 2 or FIG. 3 on the bottom side and the user-defined circuit on the module substrate top surface (11). FIG. 4 shows a side view of the subsystem without user-specific components on the top, including the module substrate (8) with balls on the bottom side (4).

FIG. 5 depicts the preferred embodiment fully assembled with the components of the user-defined circuit (10) mounted on the module substrate (8), and with the processor (1) mounted on the opposite side of the system printed circuit board (9). In the preferred embodiment, the processor (1) is the TMS320C6x DSP and the user-defined circuits (10) are external memory devices such as SDRAM or SBSRAM, which would also use the ball-to-signal definitions of TABLE 1 and TABLE 2.

The preceding disclosure has set forth particular details of the inventive embedded processing subsystem module and it's method of construction. However, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes in the form and details may be adopted without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. For example, the ball-to-signal definitions adopted for the subsystem module may be those of another DSP or microprocessor in order to yield a subsystem for specific use with another DSP or processor. Alternatively, the user-defined circuit and components could be communications controllers such as Universal Asynchronous Receiver and Transmitter (“UART”), Universal Serial Bus (“USB”), and Ethernet devices. Also, the mirror-reversing method could be applied to the pin definitions of other BGA packages or Pin Grid Array Packages (“PGA”). 

What is claimed is:
 1. An embedded processing subsystem module suitable for installation to a printed circuit board on a surface opposing a microprocessor, said microprocessor having a 2-dimensional grid array signal pinout wherein signal connections are arranged in columns and rows, said module comprising: a printed circuit board having a top surface with electronic components of a microprocessing subsystem mounted thereupon, and bottom surface; a ball grid array printed circuit pattern having a plurality of soldering pads for solder balls, said ball grid array pattern being disposed on said printed circuit board bottom surface, said ball grid array pattern having a one-dimensional transposed signal pinout equivalent to said microprocessor 2-dimensional signal pinout transposed in either a row or a column dimension but not transposed in both dimensions; and a plurality of solder balls disposed on said soldering pads of the ball grid array pattern thereby forming a subsystem module in which said subsystem module is adapted to directly electrically interconnect with the microprocessor.
 2. An embedded processing subsystem module as set forth in claim 1 wherein said ball grid array pattern is a modified standard ball grid array pattern, such that the column ball definitions are reverse transposed from the standard pattern.
 3. An embedded processing subsystem module as set forth in claim 2 wherein said modified ball grid array pattern is a modified 352-pin Ball Grid Array.
 4. An embedded processing subsystem module as set forth in claim 1 wherein said ball grid array pattern is a modified standard ball grid array pattern such that the row ball definitions are reverse transposed from the standard pattern.
 5. An embedded processing subsystem module as set forth in claim 4 wherein said modified ball grid array pattern is a modified 352-pin Ball Grid Array.
 6. An embedded processing subsystem module as set forth in claim 1 wherein the subsystem module is adapted for direct electrical interconnection to a digital signal processor on the opposite surface of a PCB from the digital signal processor.
 7. An embedded processing subsystem module as set forth in claim 1 further comprising a one or more memory devices on said printed circuit board top surface, and wherein said printed circuit board forms an electrical circuit between said solder balls on the printed circuit board bottom surface and the memory devices on the printed circuit board top surface. 